To gain deeper insight into HFA advocacy strategy, HFA President and CEO Liz Clark sat down with HFA Chief of Staff Mike Goscinski. Here are some of the highlights.

● The importance of building HFA’s name recognition: Goscinski and Clark noted that advocacy rewards those who play the long game. This was reflected in the experiences of participants in the annual HFA Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. Goscinski noted that those who had attended past Fly-Ins felt that lawmakers better understood the issues they discussed and who HFA represents. “This is because of the groundwork that HFA has been laying,” Goscinski said.

● On making up for lost time: The mandate handed Clark when she was hired in 2021 was to create a strong industry presence in the Beltway after the pandemic exposed the industry as lacking the strong relationships and lobbying presence to make its case. Goscinski said: “Our mission is to protect the operators in the industry, and, unfortunately, that was missing during the pandemic when the industry was the first to close and the last to open.”

● On cutting through the clutter in DC: Lawmakers meet with a nearly endless pool of lobbyists and special interest groups, many with deep pockets. These forces made the recent talks on the reconciliation bill an especially difficult challenge. “You have everybody from the pharmaceutical companies, big oil, auto manufacturers, retailers—everyone under the sun clamoring for this one opportunity to get changes to the tax code done right now,” Goscinski said. “It’s a tall hill to climb.”

DC Lobbying: Not for Rookies

Clark and Goscinski are veterans of the Beltway. Both have been recognized as top DC lobbyists by Washington journalists (e.g., Washingtonian, The Hill, among others). These reputations—and the credibility that goes with them—take years to build.

The HFA advocacy team has now developed strong, enduring relationships with lawmakers of both parties. In addition, the association has created grassroots tools for HFA members when legislation is pending. This reflects the enormous progress HFA has made in a short time to establish the health and fitness industry as a credible and effective force in Washington, DC, and elsewhere.